Charles Darwin’s ticket to fame was the Theory of Evolution. Despite opposition from the Church, his theory gained popularity and to this day, has been widely accepted as true. One of the other, no…
Charles Darwin’s ticket to fame was the Theory of Evolution. Despite opposition from the Church, his theory gained popularity and to this day, has been widely accepted as true. One of the other, no…
Comprising, at present, of a total population of approximately a quarter of a million people, and spread across the northern regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland (with smaller populations in Russia and Ukraine), the Sami people - or Lapplanders as they are more commonly known - remain one of the most unique indigenous cultures in Europe. They were (and still are to a certain extent) looked upon with deep suspicion and fear by outsiders. With a history going back at least five thousand years, the Sami are one of world's longest surviving indigenous peoples. Until the mid twentieth century, they lived a lifestyle of predominately reindeer herding that had hardly changed since the first recorded mention of the Sami by the Roman historian Tacticus in AD 98. Their ancient lifestyles and customs increasingly isolated them from other Nordic people's as Christianity gained a stronger and more socially controlling foothold within Scandinavia as a whole. Sami people offering to Diermes or Thor by Picart 1724 This deep suspicion of the Sami as being essentially 'unchristian' was brought to light through a rather scornful and barely repressed bigoted profile of Sami customs by the folklorist H. Celander. Proving that academic distaste of native cultures was not just limited to the Americans, Africa and Australasia, in his study on the hearth fire and ash rituals of Northern Europe, Celander reports on the 'Satanic customs of the Sami': . . . every Sami on Christmas Eve when he is sated with beer or spirits consecrates his cabin or Kuttu in the following manner . . . When Christmas Eve comes, he drinks a toast of beer or spirits with his wife and children one by one and pours the half of it in the Paasio [ by the main entrance to the dwelling] and with the remaining half he drinks the health of Jemmel or God, likewise he and his family take up position by the other door Ux and drink the health of Mubenaimo [Satan], likewise also by the hearth on which the half portion is similarly poured and the health of Sarachae also drunk (Celander 1931, 72). Sami Pictogram of Sarachae Sarachae appears to be comparable with the Norns of the Norse tradition and is the Sami deity relating to childbirth and child rearing as the cleaver of the umbilical chord in the service of the goddess Madderakka. Aside from Celander's dislike of the Sami tradition, a very interesting parallel is revealed between the veneration of the Sami goddess Sarachae (or Sarakka), and with that of a similar fireplace rituals practiced in Ireland and Scotland as an offering to the Goddess Brid (Bridget).
Indigenous architecture refers to the study and practice of architecture of, for, and by Indigenous peoples.
Charles Darwin’s ticket to fame was the Theory of Evolution. Despite opposition from the Church, his theory gained popularity and to this day, has been widely accepted as true. One of the other, no…
Indigenous architecture refers to the study and practice of architecture of, for, and by Indigenous peoples.
Back in my school days we were shown a history film which portrayed the Roman arrival in Britain in 55 BC by Julius Caesar. The Romans were shown in the film as cultured and technology-possessing sophisticates, while the Native Britons were shown to be near ape-like, grunting proto-humanoids, wearing animal skins and living in mud huts. The fact that this was a British made documentary, and showed how British historians viewed their own ancestors, made me wonder about how they must have viewed the Irish from the same period... Reconstructed large Neolithic Irish House. Note: the elegant roof line and vents on either gable to remove smoke from the central hearth via the strong cross draught the opposite openings created. As we now know, the image of the ancient Irish, Picts and Britons as basically biped apes, while the Romans were modern and civilised, is simply racial and cultural propaganda created and perpetrated by Victorian college professors and later on, the British Israelite movement. The notion being put 'out there' that before Roman Laws and especially before Christianity, was exclusively, that the native Europeans were simply backward and animal-like primitives. Only in the last twenty years has their been a sea change within academia to revise these prejudices towards more historically accurate portrayals. Among these developments is the on-going research and discovery into building types that were used outside the Roman empire. Wood decays with climate and time, and the Irish, Britons, Saxons and Norse all built their towns for the most part in wood. When wood was scarce, such as in the wind-swept Orkneys, and stone was used, as at Skara Brea, remarkable engineering and construction sophistication is clearly evident. Irish Viking Settlement at the Irish Heritage Folk Park However, the use of stone for buildings was rare as high quality wood was much more readily available from the Alps to the Arctic Circle. Hence, why there are little or no great pre-Roman cities and large public buildings remaining in northern Europe, apart from their foundations which can still be uncovered. However, these structures did exist and only now - starting on a small scale - are archaeologists beginning to understand just how potentially magnificent northern European heathen architecture may have been. Rather than just circular mud and straw huts, a picture of elegance and stylish buildings is finally emerging. Small Cluster of Iron Age buildings at the Irish National Heritage Park. Imagine what Tara may have looked like in its heyday with even larger and more elegant structures. There is much evidence of large halls and other structures at major pre-Christian sites such as Tara in Ireland, and Uppsala in Sweden. Rediscovered Iron Age and later wood-built urban landscapes are being unearthed all the time. Thanks to the work of reconstruction archaeologists at locations such as The Irish National Heritage Park in County Wexford, an image of elegant and impressive wood and thatch buildings is beginning to finally emerge, and which is slowly recreating the almost 'enchanted' urban landscapes of Northern Europe from the Neolithic Period to the Dark Ages. Early Christian Churches in Scandinavia give a good impression of the kind of large structures built by Viking communities. Try to imagine these communities of impressive wooden structures, halls, temples and homes clustered together in clearings between the immense old growth forests of Europe and many linked together by a complex network of wood roadways built wide enough for two chariots to pass one another at speed. The occupants of these communities dressed in lavishly coloured fabrics of natural pigments and adorned with jewellery of the most intricate and complex patterns and designs. Then families retreating to their homes at the end of the day to gather around a central hearth fire and create magic, poems and legends which danced among the embers and sparks. People with no desire to cross continents and force others to live under their ways. It is a long way from the garbage they taught us in school. A very long way indeed.
Straw bale construction is both sustainable and remarkably energy efficient, and its organic nature can create some incredibly beautiful homes. But this building technique is not for everyone, nor every climate, and using straw bales in construction requires
Choosing natural non-toxic insulation materials like hemp, cellulose (including Grass), wood fiber, straw & cotton lower the carbon footprint & health of homes.
This village is maybe the most beautiful in Fiji, with only traditionally built houses
Nonconventional and Vernacular Construction Materials: Characterisation, Properties and Applications provides a comprehensive repository of information on materials science and the modern structural engineering application of ancient, vernacular, and nonconventional building materials, with leading experts contributing chapters that focus on current applications and the engineering of these construction materials. Opening with a historic retrospective of nonconventional materials, Part One includes a review of vernacular construction and a discussion of the future directions for nonconventional and vernacular materials research and applications. Chapters in Part Two focus on natural fibers, including their application in cementitious composites, non-cementitious composites, and strawbale construction. In Part Three, chapters cover the use of industrial by-products and natural ashes in cement mortar and concrete, and construction using soil-cement blocks, clay-based materials, adobe and earthen materials, and ancient stone masonry. Timber, bamboo, and paper construction materials are investigated in the final section of the book.
Here, you will have the best travel guide from all across the world.
The Tan Gabbeh rug is hand-knotted and made from wool. This beautiful rug is perfect for small spaces and large areas. The size of this rug is 8' 2" x 10' 1". This beautiful rug provides unique flooring because of its beautiful pattern and its wool construction. This handmade rug is versatile enough to match any deco
Shrines in the Villages – Shirakawago Gassho-zakuri – A-frame homes- Villages of Shirakawago Doburoku Matsuri festival Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine of Shirakawago Every year in mid Oct…
Indigenous architecture refers to the study and practice of architecture of, for, and by Indigenous peoples.
Indigenous architecture refers to the study and practice of architecture of, for, and by Indigenous peoples.
Image 4 of 24 from gallery of Hut-to-Hut / Rintala Eggertsson Architects. Photograph by Pasi Aalto
Wikipedia article about Transhumance
Explore lehookom's 2369 photos on Flickr!
Shrines in the Villages – Shirakawago Gassho-zakuri – A-frame homes- Villages of Shirakawago Doburoku Matsuri festival Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine of Shirakawago Every year in mid Oct…
Back in my school days we were shown a history film which portrayed the Roman arrival in Britain in 55 BC by Julius Caesar. The Romans were shown in the film as cultured and technology-possessing sophisticates, while the Native Britons were shown to be near ape-like, grunting proto-humanoids, wearing animal skins and living in mud huts. The fact that this was a British made documentary, and showed how British historians viewed their own ancestors, made me wonder about how they must have viewed the Irish from the same period... Reconstructed large Neolithic Irish House. Note: the elegant roof line and vents on either gable to remove smoke from the central hearth via the strong cross draught the opposite openings created. As we now know, the image of the ancient Irish, Picts and Britons as basically biped apes, while the Romans were modern and civilised, is simply racial and cultural propaganda created and perpetrated by Victorian college professors and later on, the British Israelite movement. The notion being put 'out there' that before Roman Laws and especially before Christianity, was exclusively, that the native Europeans were simply backward and animal-like primitives. Only in the last twenty years has their been a sea change within academia to revise these prejudices towards more historically accurate portrayals. Among these developments is the on-going research and discovery into building types that were used outside the Roman empire. Wood decays with climate and time, and the Irish, Britons, Saxons and Norse all built their towns for the most part in wood. When wood was scarce, such as in the wind-swept Orkneys, and stone was used, as at Skara Brea, remarkable engineering and construction sophistication is clearly evident. Irish Viking Settlement at the Irish Heritage Folk Park However, the use of stone for buildings was rare as high quality wood was much more readily available from the Alps to the Arctic Circle. Hence, why there are little or no great pre-Roman cities and large public buildings remaining in northern Europe, apart from their foundations which can still be uncovered. However, these structures did exist and only now - starting on a small scale - are archaeologists beginning to understand just how potentially magnificent northern European heathen architecture may have been. Rather than just circular mud and straw huts, a picture of elegance and stylish buildings is finally emerging. Small Cluster of Iron Age buildings at the Irish National Heritage Park. Imagine what Tara may have looked like in its heyday with even larger and more elegant structures. There is much evidence of large halls and other structures at major pre-Christian sites such as Tara in Ireland, and Uppsala in Sweden. Rediscovered Iron Age and later wood-built urban landscapes are being unearthed all the time. Thanks to the work of reconstruction archaeologists at locations such as The Irish National Heritage Park in County Wexford, an image of elegant and impressive wood and thatch buildings is beginning to finally emerge, and which is slowly recreating the almost 'enchanted' urban landscapes of Northern Europe from the Neolithic Period to the Dark Ages. Early Christian Churches in Scandinavia give a good impression of the kind of large structures built by Viking communities. Try to imagine these communities of impressive wooden structures, halls, temples and homes clustered together in clearings between the immense old growth forests of Europe and many linked together by a complex network of wood roadways built wide enough for two chariots to pass one another at speed. The occupants of these communities dressed in lavishly coloured fabrics of natural pigments and adorned with jewellery of the most intricate and complex patterns and designs. Then families retreating to their homes at the end of the day to gather around a central hearth fire and create magic, poems and legends which danced among the embers and sparks. People with no desire to cross continents and force others to live under their ways. It is a long way from the garbage they taught us in school. A very long way indeed.
Bolivia's Ecolodge del Lago in Copacabana takes inspiration from traditional Lak'a Uta architecture with cabins made from stones, adobe and straw.
